Working Churchill’s farm

The French family from Coburg visited Churchill Island Heritage Farm last week and Tonia, Charlie, Billy and Nick each learnt how to shear a sheep. mm154117

Shearer Toby worked quickly on Thursday to get his $2.97 for shearing a lamb. mm164117

IT’S been all excitement at Churchill Island over the school holidays, visitors taking the one-way bridge from Phillip Island to Churchill Island to experience farm life.
Billy the sheep dog has been showing off his skills, chasing sheep into a pen.
But as most parents would know, the young ones don’t always listen and Billy chased the sheep into the pen, and then back out again!
On the other side of the farm, the cows were being milked and the sheep shearers were passing on their knowledge to future farmers.
The shearers get into the barn at 7.30am and shear for two hours, followed by a half hour or one hour break, and the process is continued four times until they’ve worked eight hours.
It pays to be a fast shearer too, the workers earning about $2.97 per sheep sheared, rather than per hour.
The school holiday activities wrapped up on Sunday.